Abstract
Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (PM) and derived products are broadly utilized in Chinese traditional medicine. According to our previous research, PM mostly contains polysaccharides, which display a wide range of biological activities. Two water-soluble polysaccharides (PMPs-1 and PMPs-2) were obtained from PM by DEAE-Cellulose and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. Colorimetry, HPGPC-MALLS-RID, HPLC-PDA, methylation, FT-IR, NMR, and SEM were used to characterize these polysaccharides. PMPs-1 and PMPs-2 had average molecular weights of 255.5 and 55.7 kDa, respectively. PMPs-1 consisted of Man, Glc, Gal, and Ara at 0.9:78.6:1.0:1.6 and was a glucan with → 4)-Glcp-(1 → as a backbone. Meanwhile, PMPs-2, an acidic polysaccharide, comprised Rha, GalA, Glc, Gal, and Ara at 3.2:20.3:2.7:1.0:8.3. PMPs-1 and PMPs-2 significantly improved the proliferation of RAW 264.7 cells and induced NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 release. This study reveals that these two polysaccharides can be explored as novel immunomodulators and provide a basis for further development of PM in food and pharmaceutical industries.